Corn-cleaner



J. W. HARRIS. comv CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED IULY H,'l9l8.

1,328,872. Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

vwattoz JW Hmawaxa.

H Mom JAMES WALTON HARRIS, OF TURBEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

CORN-CLEANER.

Snecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27. 1920.

Application filed July 11, 1918. Serial No. 244,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES lWALToN HARRIS,-

a citizen. of the United States, residing at Turbeville, in the countyof Clarendon, State of South Carolina, have invented a new and usefulCorn-Cleaner; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a corn and grain cleaner, and has forits object to provide a device of this character which embodies novelfeatures of construction whereby all dirt, silk, shucks, cobs, worm dustand the like can be quickly and thoroughly removed from the corn at aminimum expense, leaving a high grade product which will bring the bestmarket prices.

Further objects of the ..invention are to provide a device of thischaracter which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in itsconstruction which occupies a c0mparatively small amount of'floor space,which can be economically operated, and which can be usedby small millsthat are unable to buy a large expensive machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpoint-' ed out in the appended claims.

For afull understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a corn and grain cleaner constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the device and associatedparts.

Fig. 4: is a similar view through the upper hopper.

Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the rotary screens.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, the numerals 1 designate a pair of spaced upright standardsbetween which reversely in-- clined upper and lower rotating screens Aand B, respectively, are mounted. Each of these rotary screens isprovided with a fine mesh screen2 extending from the upper end thereofto a point toward the lower end, and

a coarse mesh screen 3 at the lower end there- 7 of.. The corn or othergrain to be cleaned 1S discharged into theupper end of the upper screenA from the spout 4: of a hopper 5, the feeding of the grain beingcontrolled by a suitable valve 6 which is arranged to be manipulated bya handle 7 The dirt and fine particles will drop through the fine screen2 as the corn gravitates through the inclined rotary screen A, theperfect grains of corn finally dropping through the coarse screen 3 ofthe upper rotary screen A into a second hopper 8 which is arranged underthe same. The spout 9 of this hopper 8 dis charges the corn into theupper end of the lower reversely inclined screen B where the sameoperation is again repeated, any fine particles which may still remainwith the grain dropping through the fine screen 2 of .the rotary screenB, while the perfect grains of corn finally drop through the coarsescreen B into the receptacle 10. The use of the two superposed andreversely inclined rotary screens insures thoroughness in the cleaningof the corn or grain, and the arrangement is such that the corn or grainpasses through the two screens by gravitation, thereby avoiding anynecessity for handling the grain after it is once deposited in the upperhopper 5. The dust and fine particles dropping through the fine screen 2of the two rotary screens A and B are deflected by suitable chutes 11into a convenient receptacle 12 at one side of the cleaner.

A centrifugal fan blower F is mounted adjacent the upper end of theupper screen A and the discharge nozzle 13 of the fan projects into theupper end of the screen A so that all light'particles such as corn silkand small pieces of corn cob will be blown through the end of thescreen. This fan blower may be mounted in any suitable man ner, althoughit is preferably arranged to be driven directly from the shaft of one ofthe are journaled in the said end standard andbearing brackets 18applied thereto; One

of the, shafts 17 is provided with a drive pulley 19 by'means of'whichpower can be i applied to the machine for driving the same, and the twoshafts 17 are provided with pulleys'20 which are connected by a belt 21so that both of the shafts and rotary screens will. be operated inunison.- In mounting the fan F the casing 22 thereof is preferablysecured by suitable fastening members 23 to the end standards 1 with theupper horizontal sh'aft17 extending'centrally through the same. ried bya sleeve 25-which is- 'looseupon the shaft 17 said sleeve extendingbeyond the fan easing where it is provided with a pinion 26 which meshes'witha gear 27 on a counter-shaft 28, said counter-shaft being in turnprovided with a pinion 29 which meshes with a gear 30 on the shaft 17.The fan blower is thus driven directly'from the upper shaft 17" and arapid rotation of the fan is produced by a comparatively slow rotationof the'shaft and screen. The blast ofair from this fan passeslongitudinally through the upper rotary screen A and serves to blow anycorn silk or the like light material through the end of the screen. Thiscorn and grain cleaner occupies but a small amount of floor space, canbe operated with a small amount of power, and thoroughly cleans the cornor grain which is passedthrough the same.

loose on thehorizontal' shaftfa fan carried by the sleeve andarrangedwithin the fan casing adapted-to deliver a blast of air in theupperend-of said screen, a counter-shaft gearedto both the sleeve and thehorizontal shaft," and means for the horizontal a t r The fan 24 of theblower is car- 2. A grain cleaner including a pair of spaced standards,an inclined shaft extending between the standards and journaled upon oneof the standards, a U-shaped bracket projecting from the oppositestandard,.a horizontal shaft journaled in the said bracket and oppositestandard and loosely connected to the inclined shaft, a rotary screencarried by the inclined shaft, means for conveying grain to the upperend of the screen and collecting it at the lower end thereof, a fancasing arranged within the U-shaped bracket and secured to the standard,the horizontal shaft extending through the fan casing, a sleeve loose onthe horizontal shaft, a fan arranged within the casing adapted todeliver a blast of air in the upper end of said screen and carried bythe sleeve, a counter-shaft extending between the fan casing and theouter side of the U-shaped bracket and geared to both the horizontalshaft and the sleeve, and means for driving the horizontal shaft.

3. A grain cleaner including an inclined rotary screen, acorrespondingly inclined shaft carrying the screen, a short horizontalshaft connected to the inclined shaft by a universal joint, acentrifugal fan casing supported adjacent the upper end of the inclinedscreen and provided at one side thereof with a nozzle projecting intothe rotary screen, the horizontal shaft extending through the center ofthe fan Casing, a sleeve loose on the horizontal shaft, a centrifugalfan carried by the sleeve and arranged within the casing, acounter-shaft geared to both the horizontal shaft and the sleeve, andmeans for applying power to the horizontal shaft.

4;. A grain cleaner including an inclined shaft, a rotary cylindricalscreen carried thereby, a horizontal shaft, a universal joint connectingthe horizontal shaft to the in clined shaft, a centrifugal fan casing1nounted to discharge into the screen, a sleeve loose on the horizontalshaft, a centrifugal fan rigid with the sleeve and arranged within thecasing, a counter-shaft geared to both the horizontal shaft and thesleeve, and means for applying power to the horizontal shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES WVALTON HARRIS.

Witnesses:

H. M. DENNIS, J. H. EVANS.

